


Leeway

by pomme (manta)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, also oh god what is fic, asanoya is the epitome of cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-11
Updated: 2014-09-11
Packaged: 2018-02-17 01:05:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2291297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manta/pseuds/pomme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their relationship was based on hit and miss, trial and error- more so than others, because they started at extremes and made their ways forward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leeway

At his first ever volleyball practice, Nishinoya Yuu pulled open the heavy gym doors just in time to see Azumane Asahi take flight.

Sugawara, the setter who had accepted Noya’s club application, glanced over at Asahi’s position before propelling the ball upwards, high and away from the net. Asahi observed it with bright eyes, following its trajectory as it sailed above the net. 

Noya stared, not daring to blink lest he miss a movement, his mouth open as he watched.

Then Asahi was running, gaining momentum with each long step, all assurance and grace and muscle. His bent knees coiled his body to its breaking point, and he sprang with a lion’s ferocity to meet the setter’s toss. The boom that resounded when his hand made contact rang in Noya’s ears as the ball slammed back down to earth, the sheer power of the blow making it rebound almost as high as it had been tossed.

Noya had to make a conscious effort to rip his eyes away from the point of impact on the gym floor, just out of the setter’s reach. He stared at the student- no, the _machine_ \- who had executed such a fierce spike.

“Ah! I’m so sorry, Suga! I meant to return that to you!” the player cried, both hands wrung in front of him in apology and his panicked brown eyes wide. His broad shoulders, only a split second ago rolled back, were rounded as if in an attempt to make his large frame appear a little smaller.

Noya’s eyes travelled back and forth between the practically smoking spot on the floor and the human ball of nerves on the opposite side of the net.

Impossible.

 “It was great Asahi, don’t worry about it,” Sugawara said.

 “Yes. Good job, Asahi,” a wing spiker named Sawamura added. “Now quit holding up the line!”

“Yes! Sorry!” Asahi practically sprinted to the back of the queue. Sugawara turned, spotting Noya, and asked the captain to take his place so he could walk over to the gym entrance.

“One of the new first years, right? You’re late.”

“Had to finish a test.” Which he had messed up in his excitement for practice, ironically enough. He jabbed a thumb in Asahi’s direction. “I saw that. He’s amazing.”

 “Isn’t he?” Sugawara smiled mildly. “Though he does need a push every now and then.”

“Yeah, what’s with that? People would kill to spike like he does.”

 “Why don’t you tell him yourself?” The easy smile remained on Sugawara’s face, but Noya swore there was a glint in the setter’s eye. “Hearing something like that would do wonders for his confidence.”

From the way Noya saw it he was being challenged, daring the puny first year who showed up late to his first practice to approach the ace with the arm power of a bullet train. Well, he had been underestimated his whole life- he would show them he wasn’t scared of anyone.

He marched over to the line, directly behind Asahi. He might have overdone it a bit when he yelled “Oi, you! Ace!” and clapped Asahi’s arm; the taller player jumped at a height that would have cleared the net, and made a noise that should have been impossible for one so muscular.

 

* * *

 

“Good work today!” Sawamura, now the team captain, called across the court. “See you at Friday’s practice!”

“Take care going home, it’s raining quite hard,” Sugawara added, holding the gym door open as the team filed out.

Asahi and Noya reached the exit at the same time. “After you, Noya,” Asahi said pleasantly.

“You first, Asahi-san,” Noya insisted, and firmly pressed on his back to move him forward. “I’ve always been behind you, even during our first practice. Remember?”

“How could I forget? I’d never met anyone with so much presence. And you yelled at me and grabbed my arm,” Asahi said, smiling.

“Yeah! Remember when you squeaked and everyone heard?”

Asahi turned beet red, tugging on Noya’s arm to lead him out of earshot. “Not so loud!” he whispered, almost inaudible over the rain hitting the awning. “Daichi still brings that up!”

“Brings what up?” Hinata appeared next to them on his bicycle.

“N-nothing!” Asahi spluttered, but Noya covered for him. “Just reminiscing about our school years like old men,” he said; Asahi’s dismayed expression only deepened, but Noya didn’t notice. “Heading home, Shouyou?”

“Yup! My parents are working late, so I’m watching Natsu today.”

“Be careful on the mountain roads,” Asahi cautioned. “The forecast said the rain’s only going to get heavier this afternoon.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry! I’ll be fine!” Hinata reassured him- and promptly skidded on the wet pavement.

“Watch yourself, you idiot!” Kageyama materialized from nowhere, seizing Hinata’s handlebars to steady him. To Asahi and Noya, he added a brief but respectful, “See you.”

Tanaka bounded over to Noya, slinging an arm over Noya’s neck. They made study plans for the next day then chatted about the new first person shooter being released the following week. Asahi waited patiently, but when the thunder rumbled and he looked ready to dive into the nearest bush, Noya turned to him and said, “All right, let’s go.”

Asahi opened his umbrella, a sturdy black one whose spokes reversed instead of breaking with the wind. It was only when the rest of the team was out of sight that Noya took Asahi’s left hand in his. Not that they were ashamed of being seen together or of one another, but Asahi preferred keeping the PDA to a minimum and they didn’t need distractions during practice.

Noya moved closer under the umbrella’s threshold, and even through the fabric of their jackets he could feel the solid warmth of Asahi’s arm. It served as Karasuno’s strongest offensive weapon, but outside of the gym it was often Noya’s pillow or hiding a flustered Asahi's face.

They’d walked home together countless times over the months, and yet Noya couldn’t help marvelling at how natural the little compromises had become: Asahi grasping the umbrella closer to his head to cover Noya as well, Asahi stooping and Noya reaching up a little for their hands to meet halfway, Noya walking his usual speedy gait while Asahi slowed down slightly to match his steps.

Their relationship was based on hit and miss, trial and error- more so than others, because they started at extremes and made their ways forward.

It had its awkward moments. Noya initiating their first kiss after a trip to the zoo, but not before almost ramming Asahi’s nose with his chin (Asahi had looked down to mention again how cute the penguins were, when penguins were the farthest thought from Noya's mind). Whenever Noya showered Asahi with compliments and the latter attempted to escape, only for the Noya to leap onto his back like a koala, praising him all the while. The first time Noya slept over, and they paused for so long to figure out how to orient themselves to one another that all they could do was shrug, laugh (that certainly lifted the pressure Asahi was feeling), and keep going.

It had its rough patches. Noya’s impatience on an early date, when Asahi refused to ride anything at an amusement park with nothing but roller coasters. Asahi refusing the open spot at the animal shelter, because the director was rather fierce. Asahi confiding his fears when classmates discussed his appearance and alleged criminal activities, only for an exam burdened Noya to respond with, “Stop worrying, Asahi-san, it’s not a big deal”. Their fights when Noya forgot to text Asahi that he was home after evening practices. Asahi's bad habits of underestimating his abilities, putting himself down, and apologizing for everything from spilling a glass to merely existing. And anytime leftover tensions from the devastating Datekou match bubbled over, which were doubly hard to resolve; words were neither of their strong suits.

But finally, from it all emerged the moments where they were synced as well as they were in practice. When a trapped cat on a high branch could only be rescued with Noya perched on Asahi’s shoulders. When Asahi hesitated over the phone after Noya invited him to see the new horror film, and Noya opted for the romantic comedy instead. (They ended up watching the horror film as well, but safely from the comfort of Noya's couch with Asahi cowering into Noya's lap.) When Noya leaned in to kiss Asahi’s cheek as was their customary good bye, only to find Asahi had gotten there first. When they stumbled into Asahi’s hallway, hands grabbing at buttons and fabric, and falling asleep on the living room floor because the bed was too far away.

Noya had to learn what fear was, having never experienced anxiety, and Asahi had to learn courage off of the court. Small moments, substantial moments, building up to more.

“You’re quiet today,” Asahi said, his smile tender and his eyes crinkling ever so slightly at the corners.

Noya started, and realized he had been uncharacteristically silent the entire time. “Oh, sorry. What’s up?” He squeezed Asahi’s hand, just in case Asahi had started to worry.

“Nothing important. But you looked like you were thinking, and I didn’t want to bother you.”

The atmosphere outside the umbrella was heavy with dark clouds, and the heavens emptied themselves in a torrent of freezing water. But in this tiny bubble, shielded only by fabric and his team jacket against the elements, Noya couldn’t have felt better. He had always been headstrong and never needed protecting- and yet with Asahi, he felt a different kind of safe, another form of complete.

They had reached the fork in the road where they usually parted ways, but Noya didn’t let go of Asahi’s hand.

“I’ll always be behind you to support you, Asahi-san,” he said, looking determinedly into Asahi’s eyes. Noya didn’t make promises lightly, and this one he intended to keep.

Asahi blinked once, his cheeks colouring. But he collected himself and smiled again, the full grin he reserved only for when his glass heart refracted every beam, when his spirits were light and his conscience clear.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Noya, but that’s only on the court. When it comes to us…” Asahi hesitated, then squared his shoulders and met Noya’s mouth with his own. “Let’s stay side by side.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> SAP. CHEESE. FLUFF. *dumps self in bin*
> 
> Asanoya's dynamic is great, but so hard to capture. I hope I succeeded somewhat. Love these two so much!
> 
> About Asahi’s umbrella: I have one that works the same way. If the wind’s too strong, it just turns inside out instead of breaking, and you just turn it back over.
> 
> … That’s not important to the fic. I just thought it was a cool umbrella.


End file.
